Psychologically speaking, when something frustrates us so much we can't stop complaining about it, are we also more likely to do something and take action? To answer this question we first need a better understanding of our complaining psychology.

The Psychology of Complaining When we feel dissatisfied or frustrated by something we respond by engaging in an exclusively human behavior-we complain. We complain about things large and small and do so with great frequency. This should surprise no one. What is surprising is that although we all invest prodigious amounts of time complaining-almost all of it is wasted. We do practically nothing to resolve our complaints. Bucket-loads of studies back this up, especially in the consumer domain. For example, when we find certain purchases or services faulty or dissatisfying we all vent our frustration: on average, we complain to 8-16 friends and acquaintances. But the vast majority of us don't take action by voicing our complaint to the merchant responsible for the faulty product or service! A stunning 95% of us fail to complain effectively in such situations-only 5% of us complain successfully enough to resolve the issue.

Why do we suffer from such severe complaining impotence? We typically justify our flaccid responses in one of two ways: 1. We tell ourselves complaining requires too much time and effort and ultimately will not help.2. We tell ourselves the company in question doesn't care about us.

Such justifications might sound somewhat reasonable but in fact while we avoid voicing our complaint to the company in question, we spend a lot of time and effort complaining to the people who can do nothing about the problem.

Why are we lavishing our complaints on practically anything that moves yet refusing to voice them even once to those who can actually resolve them? The answer is we seem to have acquired a wicked case of learned helplessness regarding complaints.

"Complaining Learned Helplessness"Learned helplessness is a psychological state that describes what happens when people believe they have no control over their environment. When we become convinced our actions will not have the impact we desire, we cease our efforts and become passive and helpless. If we believe that calling a customer service hotline will involve endless automated menus, long hold times and unhelpful representatives, we simply won't make the call. True, our new cable box will still malfunction when we least want it to but at least we've successfully avoided an unpleasant, frustrating and certain to be pointless hour on the phone with the cable company.

Our "complaining learned helplessness" is often based solely on mistaken beliefs, not on facts. Indeed, companies invest billions trying to improve their customer service and while some mishaps occur, many such calls are often quick, easy and productive. But our self-defeating prophecies lead us to feel powerless when in reality we are not.

Can learned helplessness also impact our political complaints and behaviors? Some political pundits have voiced the expectation that our frustration and dissatisfaction should drive more voters than usual to the poll, but the pundits may be overlooking or underestimating the insidious power of learned helplessness.

Will frustration with our elected officials translate into high voter turn-out on Election Day or will many registered voters stay home and complain to their friends instead?

Will American voters succumb to "complaining learned helplessness," stay home and complain to friends and colleagues instead of casting ballots? Or will the desire to have an impact on our environments, a sense of hopefulness and the call of civic-duty prevail?

Submitted by Elizabeth Ramifcation-Merriweather on October 26, 2010 - 1:44pm

I feel like it's a lot harder to complain when organizations get very big, because there's much less of a personal exchange. If I'm in a restaurant and my dinner is burned or ruined the waiter can see my disappointment and there's a human connection-- he can see that I was disappinted and wants to make it better so that I'll come back (and so I'll leave a good tip!). But on the phone with Staples the other day the automated line kept going, "Your call is very important to us. Your call is very important to us. Your call is very important to us." And each time it said that I kept thinking, "Hey, actions speak louder than words, Staples. If my call is that important, you should have picked it up by now."

Similarly with voting-- I really like my local congressman and have seen a lot of the things talked about at town meetings actually get done. But casting a vote for something more distant from me, like governor or president, I feel like I'm throwing my vote into the void.

I loved the way Dr. Winch helped me see the whole voting thing differently. Before I read the blog I was not going to vote because I have lost faith in the system. And the worse it gets the more faith I lose - the more helpless I feel. So I don't vote.

Well Dr Winch you are right! I do have learned helplessness. But your wrong about election day. Because of your blog - I'm going to vote!

So true about our often not complaining -- sadly, to our own detriment -- because we think it requires too much time, effort, ultimately will not help, et al. While I think writing a good letter of complaint or telling the maitre d' my food is cold can often straighten out problems quickly and efficiently, I do confess to feeling much more powerless in the voting booth. However, after reading Dr. Winch's blog, I dare say I feel much more encouraged to take a step toward unlearning my "learned helplessness" and get out on election day and complain!

So true about our often not complaining -- sadly, to our own detriment -- because we think it requires too much time, effort, ultimately will not help, et al. While I think writing a good letter of complaint or telling the maitre d' my food is cold can often straighten out problems quickly and efficiently, I do confess to feeling much more powerless in the voting booth. However, after reading Dr. Winch's blog, I dare say I feel much more encouraged to take a step toward unlearning my "learned helplessness" and get out on election day and complain!

Interesting blog. I never thought about it, until now, but must admit that there's nothing more fun than kvetching and complaining about everything, and it's so true that we do it to those who can't help us at all.
Maybe it's because it keeps us in the same exact place, and we don't have to change, just keep doing the same old same old. No brainer. I complain, nothing changes, everything is under control.
So we are basically mirroring the same ineffectivity that we are receiving from the company/restaurant/government, which of course is pathetic.
Looking forward to reading your book!

Great application of a psychological process applied to something that every US citizen surely thinks about once a year. Not sure that my expectation of being "heard" by my elected officials is changed by this article, but it's certainly worth consideration.

You are so right, Dr. Guy Winch. We continuously kvetch and complain - verbally - to anyone who would listen to us - friends, family, even strangers standing in line with us. However, apart from venting our frustrations we contribute ziltch to improve or change things for the better.
Having read your blog, maybe we should in hind-sight rethink our usual "complaining impotence" and go out there to vote, with the hope of making a change after all.

You are so right, Dr. Guy Winch. We continuously kvetch and complain - verbally - to anyone who would listen to us - friends, family, even strangers standing in line with us. However, apart from venting our frustrations we contribute ziltch to improve or change things for the better.
Having read your blog, maybe we should in hind-sight rethink our usual "complaining impotence" and go out there to vote, with the hope of making a change after all.

Great insight into our collective political psyche. People's lack of confidence in having their interests regarded by their elected officials seems to be rooted in reality. Try listening to the annual state of the union addresses or election debates and the subject matter is largely the same unresolved issues such as alternative energy, healthcare, prescription drugs for seniors etc...A lot of lip service and little progress. Throw into this mix the partisan feuds, and the electorate who may have started off optimistic and interested is now bored, disgruntled, and apathetic.

Another aspect of learned helplessness a structural one. Is our government structured in a way that allows for the interests of its citizens to be heard and honored? for example, does a republican in new york or a democrat in texas, vote actually matter in a presidential or a gubernatorial election? --Popular opinion presides, as it should in a democracy, but at the same time minority opinion which can be several votes shy, takes the backseat. So learned helplessness seems like reasonable response to having louder or larger voices win all the time. that said, of course our system allows for change through political mobilization, grassroots efforts etc...

What an excellent new spin on voter turnout. I sent out my absentee ballot yesterday - it costs me 6€ in postage! In other words, I paid to vote and have my voice heard. So for all of the majority of you who vote for "free", go on out there and vote.
Dr. Winch, I am looking forward to reading your book - I'm sure it will be thought provoking.

What a great way to analyse the low voting turnout. It does seem that unless people understand that their vote can make a difference nothing will change and the low voting turnout will continue. I wish all potential voters would read this blog and can't wait to read the book! As for the turnout for this coming election, I suspect it will stay low.

Fantastic! The moment we become passive is the moment we stop having an impact on our surroundings and indeed on our lives...
Everybody should read this blog and the book which it's based on, the world would be a better place.

honestly I have not really thought about those who don't vote and those who do. There are those who do believe that voting will not make a difference and that the government has control of who gets elected more then the citizens. I would like to show this to those who I know who don't vote and for myself to help with any doubt I might have in the future on voting. Thanks for the article it does get you to think about your own feelings and the outcome that can come from them on how you feel or react to curtain situations like voting or bad products but mostly on voting and the learned helplessness that some including me can learn do to negative stimuli.

I agree that complaining learned helplessness is often because of people not having all the facts to or about a situation. During voting myths about elections come out leading voters to believe things that are not true or leaves them questioning the choice they have in candidates.